Salud: PBA to continue lending players to Gilas

SEVILLE, Spain – PBA commissioner Chito Salud, in the sidelines of the 2014 PBA World Cup here from day one, promised the pro league back home won’t waver in its support of the Gilas Pilipinas program, in particular in its key role of lending players to the national team.

The PBA is committed to help especially as it is seeing the fruits of national team program of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas under the leadership of businessman/sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan.

“The PBA has been doing that for the last two years and will continue to do so,” said Salud.

“We know we have a commitment to support Gilas and we’ve shown that. Our owners have shown that in the last two years and will continue to do that in the next year as the national team competes in the Asian qualifying tourney for the Olympics,” Salud added.

The PBA chieftain, however, stressed that they have to balance things as the league is playing a 10-month season in a year.

“Of course, we do a balancing act,” said Salud, needing not to mention the national players’ duties to their mother teams in the PBA.

To further help the cause of the national team, the PBA is willing to synchronize its calendar with that of the FIBA tournaments.

“We’ve asked the SBP and Gilas tell us which tournaments are going to be in conflict with our schedule so we can adjust. So far for 2015 they still could not pinpoint the dates when they would go out to play,” said Salud. “Chot’s (the national coach) guess is probably late August and early September for the qualifying tourney for the Olympics, and we’re ready to adjust.”

Salud said everybody has been sacrificing for this cause.

“The PBA plays three conferences in 10 and a half months. That’s the normal PBA calendar. Last year, we played three conferences in eight months and four conferences in 11 months by the time FIBA (2013 championship) ended,” Salud pointed out.

“Yes, we’re adjusting. Even the players that are not with the national team are adjusting. They’re playing more games and more playing days,” Salud also said.

“Everybody has made sacrifice, a small sacrifice for what we think right now is a success for Gilas,” Salud further said.

Salud leads a big PBA contingent cheering the Nationals in their campaign here, and he’s impressed with what he sees.

“Very impressed,” he said.

“I came here really wondering, wanting to find out where we are right now. Where are we insofar as world basketball is concerned,” he said. “I didn’t know. Now we know that we can compete with the best. And if we continue competing at this level, I won’t be surprised if we can get a win or two soon. I’m not talking about this tournament but the tournaments to come.”

His thoughts on how to further improve the caliber of the team?

“Obviously, we need to improve our outside shooting if we want to continue to compete in this level. And I think it’s too late to improve when the players are already in the pro level. It has to be started when they’re very, very young,” Salud said.

“Practice the 3-point shots and make sure the free throws are automatic,” Salud added. “They say this is a big man’s game. Having shooting improved, we make it less of a big man’s game,” Salud added.